Century-old engine

The Ransomes, Sims and Jefferies mighty steam driven traction engine attracted a lot of interest at the Geelong Vintage Rally last weekend. The engine built in 1903 was first owned by Mr Lakyer of Winchelsea who for 12 years used the engine to cart timber to the gold mines around Buninyong. The engine also powered a stone crusher.
In 1917 it was sold to the Warren Brothers who used the machine to thresh grain at farms in Leopold and along the Midland Highway to Buninyong. The engines top speed was five miles per hour. For several years the old engine sat in a paddock in Ash Road, Leopold before being restored by younger members of the Warren family.
The engine is steam powered from a wood fired boiler. Driver Thomas Lord (left) said the machine requires regular detailed maintenance, but was a boon to farming in the early part of the 20th Century, powering all types of farm implements.